Inspiration

International Center for Animated Film

Jan. 2026

5 min.

A new cultural icon for Annecy

In June 2026, Annecy will enter a new chapter of the area’s cultural history with the highly anticipated opening of the Cité Internationale du Cinéma d’Animation (International Center for Animated Film).

This new hub is located within the walls of the former Haras National Horse Stables – a spectacular 2.5 hectare park and heritage site transformed into the ideal place for the community to gather. CITIA will now bridge the gap between heritage and innovation, education and creativity, amusement and knowledge.

This unifying, ambitious endeavor will shine the spotlight on animated films all year long for the benefit of both animation aficionados and Annecy locals.

Annecy, the world animation capital

Since the International Animated Film Festival’s inception in 1960, the founders had already started dreaming of a place for the general public to enjoy. Just a few decades later, the dream has now come true with the grand opening of the new Center – a lively place dedicated entirely to animation.

Every year the festival brings together industry professionals, students, creators, and anyone passionate about animated film. They converge in Annecy, now recognized as the world capital for animated film, to celebrate all forms of creativity in animation. Yet until now, no dedicated space existed to maintain the energy of the festival for the general public throughout the year.

“Over the years, even though we have organized events for the general public, we were still missing a location to fully embody this genre day to day,” explains Peggy Zejgman-Lecarme, Director of CITIA’s Culture Department.

The City of Annecy’s acquisition of the Haras National Stables allows for multiple options for creating a place worthy of this heritage site’s décor and CITIA’s ambitions. Today, this vast restoration project falls within the scope of the city’s well-structured strategy for developing culture and the arts, and has received support from several public partners, including the Haute-Savoie Department, the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region, and the French national government.

The very painstaking and detailed renovation began two years ago to preserve the locale’s core identity while making the necessary adaptations for current use. The site will include a food court, a nonprofit community café, and the International Center for Animated Films, all immersed in a tree-filled park with sitting areas and pedestrian paths designed around a center fountain.

“Annecy locals have begun to grasp the location’s appeal,” comments Peggy Zejgman-Lecarme, “They pass by to see how renovations and construction are going, to marvel at the park’s new look. It’s very encouraging to see the place slowly but surely become a part of everyone’s everyday life.”

CITIA, in charge of managing, event planning, exhibit programming, and hosting visitors for the new Center, is working hard to create a way for the heart of this unique location to beat to the rhythm of the seasons through each and every part of the establishment. The main attraction serves two key objectives: one, to place animated films center stage as its own distinct style of art, and two, to serve the general public.

A multifaceted setting ideal for creation and exploration

Divided into several sections, the International Center for Animated Films seeks to bring people together and create a dialog between different backgrounds by developing a diverse program of exhibits and events for families, students, aficionados, experts, tourists, and professionals.

The wide variety of options will offer visitors the chance to create their own personalized tour: exploring heritage, learning about specific techniques, understanding the professions involved in animation, marveling at exhibits through an immersive experience, meeting with artists…

The Animated Film Museum

The project is centered around a permanent museum to exhibit the many collections currently on display at Annecy’s Castle-Museum, a “Museum of France” certified exhibit and among the most noteworthy in Europe. The collection includes more than 8000 works of art, with drawings, film, puppets, technical equipment, and rare archives. The museum layout, designed to create an immersive educational experience, will change regularly, rotating the vast number of pieces. The exhibition curator, working for Annecy’s Castle-Museum and CITIA, will oversee managing and coordinating all exhibits, as well as welcoming visitors to the museum.

The main annual exhibit

A 650 m² space will house a major exhibit every year from June through January.

“We consider these expositions as popular art,” confirms Peggy Zejgman-Lecarme. “We want them to be accessible, ambitious, and creating a sense of wonder for all visitors.”

Each exhibit will be designed to present the latest in animation while exploring different graphic worlds, narratives, and techniques.

The gallery

More modular and flexible, the 160 m² gallery will host temporary exhibits, including local collaborations, projects by nonprofits, as well as works by young upcoming artists; an ideal space to encourage emerging art.

The movie theater

The life blood of the Center, the 332-seat movie theater will offer screenings, movie-concerts, sneak previews, as well as special showings for students and families.

“The theater will allow us to offer a year-round program for all types of audiences,” the director emphasizes.

With its modular seating, the theater will also be able to host lectures, conferences, and other special events.

The artist residence

Focused on creativity, the residence will offer artists the chance to work within the Center.

“We want to encourage creation and creativity, as well as the opportunity for artists and the general public to meet. The residence will be a place to share in the creative spirit.”

“Le Grenier” (The Attic)

Beneath the rooftop, a 350 m² open space will host artist and cultural education workshops. Students, families, youth, and adults will have the opportunity to learn all about animation techniques and enjoy a behind-the-scenes look at this form of art.

“Arts and cultural education is a fundamental part of who we are. “Le Grenier” (The Attic) will serve as a genuine laboratory to explore and discover what animation and motion pictures are all about.”

A gathering place in its own right

One of the main aspects of the project is as open and accessible to as wide an audience as possible. Peggy Zejgman-Lecarme insists that, “The Center needs to be a place where a wide variety of people with different backgrounds come together: from those fascinated by technique, to families, students, fans, or simply people learning about animated films for the first time. No need to have a passion for or know anything about this style of art to enter the museum. A simple sense of curiosity is the only prerequisite.”

The concept of accessibility also applies to people with any form of impairment: from reduced mobility to a handicap, the location is well equipped to offer specific content and tours.

The overall goal is to make the Center a community hub, a place that you can visit as a family on the weekend or after work during the week to enjoy an exhibit, watch a short film, or participate in a workshop. Its central location downtown, the food court, the nonprofit community café, and the welcoming atmosphere are just a few of the ways to tie all of these approaches together.

The Center will merge seamlessly into the current dynamic of the world’s animated film capital and the International Animated Film Festival, and will feed off this creative spirit while developing its own unique, independent, and parallel programming. Located at the crossroads between heritage, education, and creativity, the International Center for Animated Film (CITIA) is currently writing its own story and represents the next major step for Annecy. A lively and inspiring place, “The Center will become home to locals and all those who want to learn the secrets of an industry that has made Annecy famous,” promises Peggy Zejgman-Lecarme. Open to all, welcoming, creative, and inspiring!

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Top of page photo credit:

Journalist: Gaëlle Tagliabue

Translation: Darin Reisman